1912 Watch Tower - A2Z.org

which is far better." (Phil. 1:23.) If St. Paul expectedto depart and be with Christ, why is it not reasonable tosuppose that he did so, and that all others, at least of thesaintly, at death so depart and pass at once into the presenceand fellowship of Jesus?Yet such a misunderstanding of St. Paul's words andthoughts are excusable in view of the general trend ofChristian thought on this subject for centuries, and inview of the error made in this case by the translators.We are not faulting the translators, because they hadthe erroneous thought firmly embedded in their mindsand presumably were trying to make the Apostle here saywhat they conscientiously thought he ought to say.But what we are interested in knowing is, What didhe say on the subject?Let us read the Apostle's words critically. He was ina strait between two things--whether he would prefer tolive and suffer further for the Truth's sake, and assist thebrethren, or whether he would prefer to die and restfrom his labors. Between these two positions he had nochoice. But there was a third thing--and if this hadbeen a possibility he would have had no difficulty in deciding--he had a real, positive desire respecting it;neither of the things which were possible to him wouldhave stood in comparison at all, this third thing wouldhave been so desirable.Now what was this third thing? It was not to liveand suffer and help the brethren, nor was it to die and beat rest from his labors. The third thing, according to aliteral translation, is expressed thus: "I have a desire forthe returning, and being with Christ, which is far better"--far better than either living under the present tryingconditions or dying, sleeping, resting and waiting for theKingdom.But, says one, by what authority do you render theR5133 : page 357word depart by a word of very opposite meaning, namelyreturn. We answer that we give this rendering on theauthority of the Greek text. The Greek word is analusai;it is found in one other place in the Bible, and there it isrendered return. In this other case there can be no questionas to the proper translation.--See Luke 12:36.Let us, then, dear fellow-Christians, turn from thefollies of the Dark Ages and take the inspired words ofJesus, the Apostles and Prophets, and have, indeed,"beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for the spirit of heaviness,"in respect to the understanding of the HeavenlyFather's Program. Thus we will find fulfilled in us moreand more the Master's prayer: "Sanctify them throughThy Truth; Thy Word is Truth."====================R5133 : page 357